Chair

Renee Stubbins

Renee Stubbins grew up in Houston, Texas and received her bachelor’s in science and her PhD in Nutrition Biochemistry and Cancer Metabolism from the University of Texas at Austin. Renee is a senior oncology dietitian for Houston Methodist Cancer Center and is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Oncology Nutrition Practice group. Renee’s research interests include utilizing medical nutrition therapy throughout the cancer care process and using nature to address nutrition barriers (pain and anxiety) to improve patient’s quality of life.

Chair-elect

Mridul Datta

Mridul Datta became a Registered Dietitian because of her interest in the impact of nutrition in oncology care particularly during treatment. She has worked in both inpatient and outpatient clinical dietetics, managed a clinical nutrition department before graduating with a doctoral degree in human/clinical nutrition from University of North Carolina-Greensboro. Mridul is now the Director of the Dietetic Internship and a Clinical Assistant Professor at Iowa State University. Mridul has been engaged in the Oncology Nutrition Dietetics Practice Group for many years, serving as a reviewer for the Oncology Nutrition Connection and more recently a co-editor for this peer-reviewed publication (2017-2020). Mridul is a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Past Chair

Caitlin Benda

Caitlin Benda has been a registered dietitian for over 10 years and has spent the majority of her career supporting the nutrition needs of individuals diagnosed with cancer in the radiation, medical, and surgical oncology settings. Having always been fascinated by the relationship between food and behavior, she completed bachelors’ degrees in both psychology and nutrition/dietetics in 2007. After doing so, she went on to obtain her master’s degree in nutrition from Tufts University while also completing her dietetic internship at Tufts Medical Center. She is currently working as an Oncology Dietitian Clinical Specialist with Life with Cancer at the Inova Schar Cancer Institute in Fairfax, VA. Her primary interests in cancer nutrition include GI malignancies, head and neck cancer, and nutrition support.

Caitlin has been an active member of the ON DPG since first joining in 2015, having served both as Treasurer (2015-2017) and Public Content Manager (2017-2018).